The Mole

The masses of atoms

Relative Atomic Mass
The mass of an atom is tiny. A single hydrogen atom is only about 0.000 000 000 000 000 000 000 002 grams!
Dealing with such small numbers is difficult. Therefore, scientists found a simpler way of comparing the
mass of different atoms.
They chose the carbon atom and compared all the other atoms with it. Since a carbon atom consists
of 6 protons and 6 neutrons, they gave it a mass of 12 units (they ignored the electrons).
The mass of an atom relative to that of carbon-12 is called the Relative Atomic Mass.
If we compare the mass of a hydrogen atom with that of the carbon-12, we find its mass is a 1/12th of the
carbon-12 atom. Therefore, a hydrogen atom is assigned the mass unit 1.
When a magnesium atom was compared, its mass was found to be twice that of carbon-12, therefore
magnesium was assigned the mass unit 24.
Mass and Isotopes
Many elements possess atoms with differing masses due to them having different numbers of neutrons.
The atoms shown above belong to the isotopes of chlorine. They have different masses because one has
two more neutrons than the other. Also it was found that chlorine-35 is more abundant than chlorine-37.
For every four chlorine atoms, one will be a chlorine-37 the other three will be chlorine-35. Therefore, the
average mass of a chlorine atom is 35.5.
The presence of isotopes and their abundances must be taken into account when calculating Relative
Atomic Mass (RAM).
The RAM of an element is the average mass of its isotopes relative to an atom of carbon-12.
Avogadro's Number
The Magic Number!
If you calculate the RAM of a substance, and then weigh out that number of grams of the substance you
can calculate the number of atoms or molecules that it contains.
Carbon has a RAM of 12, if you were to weigh out exactly12 grams of carbon it would contain 602 000 000
000 000 000 000 000 carbon atoms.
This is called a mole of atoms. The number is called Avogadro's number, usually written as 6.02 x 1023
Examples:
1. 24 grams of magnesium would contain 6.02 x 1023 magnesium atoms.
2. 56 grams of iron would contain 6.02 x 1023 iron atoms.
3. 18 grams of water would contain 6.02 x 1023 water molecules.
One mole of a substance is 6.02 x 1023 particles of that substance. It is obtained by weighing out the RAM or the
formula mass in grams.

Formulae of Compounds
What information can we get from a chemical formula?
The formula of water is H2O. This is because 1 atom of oxygen combines with 2 atoms of
hydrogen.
Alternatively, we can say that 1 mole of oxygen atoms combines with 2 moles of hydrogen atoms to
form 1 mole of water molecules.
Moles can be changed to grams; therefore we can say 16 grams of oxygen combine with 2 grams of
hydrogen to form 18 grams of water.
The formula of carbon dioxide is CO2. This is because 1 atom of carbon combines with 2 atoms of oxygen.
Therefore, 12 grams of carbon combine with 32 grams of oxygen to form 44 grams of carbon dioxide.
Alternatively, 1 mole of carbon atoms combine with 2 moles of oxygen atoms to produce 1 mole of
carbon dioxide.

To find the formula of a compound

1.
2.
3.
4.

Start with the number of grams that combine

Change the grams to moles
This gives you the ratio which they combine
So now you know the formula
A formula obtained in this way is called the Empirical Formula.

Example:
1.
2.
3.
4.

32 grams of sulphur react with 32 grams of oxygen

1 mole of sulphur reacts with 2 moles of oxygen
Ratio of 1:2
Formula SO2 - sulphur dioxide
Finding mass by experiment

The Reaction between Magnesium and Oxygen

The apparatus below is used to calculate the mass of magnesium oxide, but firstly you must know the
masses of the elements that combine.

Method:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Weigh the mass of the crucible and lid

Add a coil of magnesium ribbon and reweigh.
Heat crucible strongly, lifting lid occasionally to allow oxygen in.
When burning is complete allow the apparatus to cool.
With the lid on reweigh the crucible and its contents.

Results:

mass of magnesium oxide - mass of magnesium = mass of oxygen

4.0g - 2.4g = 1.6g
2.4g of magnesium = 0.1 moles
1.6g of oxygen = 0.1 moles
Therefore the ratio of magnesium to oxygen used is 1:1

Conclusion:
The formula of magnesium oxide is MgO.

Writing Equations
How to write an equation
Four steps to writing equations:
1. Write the equation in words
2. Write the equation in symbols. Check that you are using the correct formulae.
3. Check that the equation is balanced. Balancing means that you have the same number of atom on one side
as you do on the other. The reason for balancing is because atoms are not lost or created during a
reaction. Remember when you balance you multiply the whole formulae whether its an element or
molecule - you do not change its formulae.
4. Add state symbols.

Example 1:
Magnesium burns in oxygen to produce magnesium oxide.

Because oxygen has two atoms on the left, we multiply by 2 the MgO so that we now have 2 oxygen atoms
on the right.
However we now have two magnesium atoms on the right, so we need to multiply Mg by 2 on the left to
balance.

Example 2:
Hydrogen gas reacts with oxygen gas to form water when a spark is placed in the mixture.

There are two oxygen atoms on the left but only one on the right. Hence we need to multiply the H2O on
the right by 2.
This gives us two oxygen atoms on both sides but we are now left with only two hydrogens on the left and
four hydrogen atoms on the right. Therefore, we multiply the H2 by 2.

STROICHIOMETRY :

At room temperature (25 C) and one atmosphere pressure (101kPa),

one mole of any gas occupies a volume of 24,000 cm3 (24 litres).
The equation which converts moles into volume is
volume = moles x 24,000 cm3

Example 1.
What volume of carbon dioxide is produced by burning 6 g of carbon in air?
Method.
1) Find how many moles of carbon are present in 6 g of carbon.
RAM of C = 12.
moles = mass RAM
moles = 6 12
= 05 moles of carbon.

2) Write the equation for the reaction.

carbon + oxygen
C(s) + O2(g)

carbon dioxide.
CO2(g)

Use the big numbers to find the proportion of reactant to product.

1C gives 1CO2, the proportion is 1 to 1,
so 05 moles of carbon will make 05 moles of carbon dioxide.
3) Convert moles into volume.
volume = moles x 24,000 cm3
volume = 05 x 24,000 cm3
= 12,000 cm3 of carbon dioxide.
So, burning 6 g of carbon in air will produce 12,000 cm3 of carbon dioxide.
Example 1.
What mass of magnesium oxide will be formed
when 10 g of magnesium is burned in air?
1) Find how many moles of magnesium are present
in 10 g of magnesium.
The RAM of magnesium is 24.
moles = mass RFM
moles = 10 24
= 0417 moles of magnesium.

2) Write the equation for the reaction between

magnesium and oxygen (burning in air means reacting with oxygen).
magnesium + oxygen
2Mg(s) + O2(g)

magnesium oxide.
2MgO(s)

If you don't know why the formula

for magnesium oxide is MgO, see valency.
Look at the big numbers in front of the elements or compounds.
The big numbers tell you that 2 magnesiums will give 2 magnesium oxides.
This means that 2 moles of Mg give 2 moles of MgO,
or one mole of Mg gives one mole of MgO.
The big numbers in the equation tell you that
the proportion of Mg to MgO is one to one.
Since the proportion of Mg to MgO is 1 to 1,
then 0417 moles of magnesium will give 0417 moles of magnesium oxide.
3) Find the mass of 0417 moles of magnesium oxide.
The RFM of magnesium oxide is 40.
mass = moles x RFM
mass = 0417 x 40
= 1667 g of magnesium oxide.
This is the answer!
10 g of magnesium burnt in air will give 1667 g of magnesium oxide (Phew!).
The next page will show an advanced method (a shortcut)
to getting the same answer.
Rules for the Basic Method.
1) Find the number of moles present in the reactant.
2) Write the equation for the reaction.
Use the big numbers to find the proportion of reactant to product.
The proportion will give you the number of moles of the product.
3) Find the mass of that number of moles of product.

Rules for the Advanced Method.

1) Write the equation for the reaction.
Use the big numbers to find the proportion of reactant to product.
2) Divide the RFM of the product
by the RFM of the reactant.
3) Multiply the number in 2 by both the
proportion and the mass in grams of the reactant.
Example 1.

What is the percentage of Carbon in Propene?

Formula of propene is C3H6. RAM of C = 12, RAM of H = 1.
Method.
The RFM of propene is (3 x 12) + (6 x 1),
= 36 + 6
= 42.
36 of the 42 is due to carbon,
so the percentage of carbon in the compound is
(36 42) x 100
= 857%.
Answer. Carbon makes up 857% of propene.
A concentrated solution will have
a large number of particles of the solute in the solvent.
A dilute solution will have
a small number of particles of the solute in the solvent.
Concentrations can be expressed as the number of moles
in a particular volume or the number of grams in a particular volume.
Moles per cubic decimetre or mol/dm3 or mol dm-3 all mean the same thing.
A cubic decimetre is the same as a litre.
3
Grams per dm or grams/ dm3 or grams dm-3 all mean the same thing.
The number of moles of solute in solution is given by the formula
moles = (C x V) 1000
where C = concentration in mol dm-3 (moles per dm3).
V = volume in cm3.
Example 1.
In a titration, 50 cm3 of 2 mol dm-3 sodium hydroxide
was exactly neutralised by 30 cm3 of hydrochloric acid.
What is the concentration of the hydrochloric acid?
Method.
1) Write the equation for the reaction.
sodium hydroxide + hydrochloric acid
sodium chloride + water.
NaOH(aq)
+
HCl(aq)
NaCl(aq) +
H2O(l)
Use the big numbers to find the proportion of NaOH to HCl.
One mole of NaOH reacts with one mole of HCl.
2) Find how many moles of sodium hydroxide are present.
moles = (C x V) 1000.
The number of moles in 50 cm3 of 2 mol dm-3 sodium hydroxide
= (2 x 50) 1000
= 01 moles of sodium hydroxide.
3) From 1 and 2, 30 cm3 of hydrochloric acid
also contains 01 moles.

You can rearrange moles = (C x V) 1000 to give

C = (moles x 1000) V

C = (01 x 1000) 30
= 333.
The concentration of hydrochloric acid is 333 mol dm-3.